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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

SHOULD YOU EXERCISE ON AN EMPTY STOMACH?

* The page
that you are on right now (www.halfofgabby.blogspot.com) is no longer posting
new articles and information. Half of Gabby has moved to www.halfofgabby.com
and will continue to post new material regularly! In addition, all older
articles have been updated on the new site!

~~~

Hmmmm, let's think about this.....uh.....NO.

Here's the dealio. A lot of people think you should exercise on an empty stomach because there is the theory that you burn more fat. The theory goes on to explain that when you have an empty stomach, your blood levels are low because you are in a "fasted" state. So when you start exercising, it's burning up your reserves.

There is also a counter theory that disputes this by stating that if you exercise on an empty stomach, your body will indeed burn up your reserves...your musclereserves (Which is not a good thing!). Your body will take it's energy NOT from your fat cells, but from your muscles! Since the body needs to take energy from somewhere and you are without sufficient carbohydrate stores, your body will use protein as the source of energy. And where the hell does it get the protein from? Your muscle mass. It breaks down the muscle to get the energy it requires. And let's not forget, when muscle is broken down, less fat gets burned. You end up in a far worse situation by causing even more damage. This theory mimics the 'Starvation Mode' process where muscle is eaten up and you are left with a higher fat percentage.

So who is right? Well to be perfectly honest, who the hell knows? I don't, you don't, and they don't either! This is when it comes down to using that damn brain that sits inside your skull.

Is all of this worth burning 20 more calories? And if you stop your workout short because you're not feeling well or you simply have a less intense workout because you have no energy, well you're sure as shit not going to be burning more fat or calories.

Don't set yourself up for failure by making your workouts a horrible experience.

I don't know about you, but exercising everyday takes enough willpower and dedication as it is, I don't want to make it a torture session for myself on top of all that. You can exercise anytime you want to, but why the hell would you want to make it harder than it already is?

PROS OF WORKING OUT WITH FOOD

1. Your body is fueled up and has energy2. You can push harder throughout your workout3. You can push yourself longer throughout your workout4. You can focus and keep your game face on5. You won't have a growling stomach and won't be thinking about food during your workout6. You can kick more ass

"You don't have to hop on the treadmill at 4:30am every morning. Let's allow common sense to dictate when and how you exercise. If you want to work out first thing in the morning [on an empty stomach], by all means, go ahead and do it. There's nothing magical about this time. We need to think 'outside of the hour' of exercise and realize that calorie burning and fat burning goes on for twenty-four hours. Forget about the theories and look at the bigger picture."

I'm not saying you have to eat a five course meal before you exercise, but give yourself something to fuel up on. And don't be wolfing down a ham sandwich right before you hop on the elliptical or start lifting weights either. Use your head.

If you are due for a full meal, eat and then wait 2+ hours before working out. If you don't have time to wait and need to workout within 20-30 minutes, then stick to a small pre-workout snack that has about 100-200 calories. Eat low-glycemic foods such as bananas, oatmeal, fresh fruit smoothies, plain yogurt, whole wheat toast w/ PB, or hard boiled eggs.

Simply workout and eat when it's best for you. I personally always make sure I have eaten before AND after my workouts. I make sure I get some protein afterwards. I use the 100% Whey Protein Isolate and mix it with 8 oz skim milk, 2 TBS of unsweetened cocoa and 3 packets of stevia. However, if you are not doing intense workouts, particularly ones that include muscle building, whey protein is not necessary, just eat something small that is predominantly protein after your workouts.

Protein helps your muscles recover from any damage sustained in your workouts, which in turn helps you have less soreness and better results. Protein encourages muscle mass growth. It is important to start refueling as soon as possible after you exercise. I'm not saying start eating like a beast, just give your body what it needs.

Just remember this:

Good carbs before a workout, protein afterwards.

For best results, eat within 30 minutes after your workout, but you have a decent window for about 90 minutes (but sooner is better). Don't forget to stay hydrated, before, during, AND after exercising.

Do your own research. Don't pop up on one site and take it as gospel. Read up on a lot of sites and make sure they're reputable and that it's not some Joe Blow's opinion you've stumbled onto.There is a lot of misinformation out there.

The Mayo clinic as well as WebMD has a lot of resources to pull from as well as a ton of links to check out, but there are some great sites out there that have a wealth of information to learn from. Make an informative decision on how you want to run your exercise regimen.

First and foremost, use sound judgement and listen to your body. You are your own best expert.

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." Albert Einstein

*The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content in this article is for general information purposes only. I am not a doctor, nor am I a dietitian. Talk to your physician before making any changes in your diet or exercise regimen.The information found in this article is from various sources which include, but are not limited to, the sites listed above. I encourage you to do your own research and talk with your physician before making any changes in diet or exercise. This information in this article or on this website should never replace or serve as medical advice. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR HAVE ACCESSED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.

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*The information on
this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional
medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content in this article is for
general information purposes only. I am not a doctor, nor am I a dietitian.
Talk to your physician before making any changes in your diet or exercise
regimen. The information found in this article is from various sources which
include, but are not limited to, the sites listed above. I encourage you to do
your own research and talk with your physician before making any changes in
diet or exercise. What has worked for me may not work for you. This information
in this article or on this website should never replace or serve as medical
advice.

NEVER DISREGARD
PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF
SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR HAVE ACCESSED THROUGH THIS WEB SITE.

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CRAZY IS ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

My whole lifeI have been described as crazy and funny by other people. And I don't mean crazy as in truly certifiably crazy, I mean more as in I say what comes to my mind . I think a big part of the reason people think I'm funny is because I say what everyone else is thinking. People who don't know me are sometimes taken aback by my candidness and those who know me try to be prepared, but are still often left shaking their heads. My Hubs is famous for shaking his head at me. He'll try to say he's grossed out or shocked but he secretly loves it. It's part of my charm and why he fell in love with me ;)

I would not describe myself as crazy. But we all catch the crazies every once in a while, fo sho. But I do say what's on my mind and I do have a fondness for dirty words.

I do love to laugh though, so it's a good thing I married a funny man. I grew up with a big italian family with wicked funny humor. My father's side was more the dirty, foul mouthed humor and my mother's side was more the witty, clever humor. Either way, it was all freakin' hilarious, so I had to catch the funnies...it's in my blood. I love spending time with people who enjoy getting their own smile on. A night of hanging with family and friends and laughing until my stomach hurts is my perfect kind of evening.

It's not all funny business though, I try hard to be a good person and work hard on bettering myself all the time. I hope to have the privilege of living a long life and I hope to die being the very best version of myself. One of my biggest goals in this life is to inspire and empower other women to start their own journeys. Weight loss journeys really aren't about losing weight at all. They're about gaining life. It's amazing how health and fitness serves as a portal into a world where you learn to love and respect yourself. A world where you see your beauty, the true beauty that lives inside of you and makes you who you really are.

I've been through my share of shit(as has everybody) and have had to endure days that will not soon be forgotten. My past is what attributed to me becoming a therapist. I believe that being happy isn't having a life void of problems, but is being a person who knows how to deal with the problems. Trials and tribulations are a part of life, it's a fact...shit happens....so you gotta learn how to forge through it. And life at any moment can turn your world upside down. So I consider any day that my family is happy and healthy, well, that's a great day...and something to be so very, very grateful for.

My wish is to create a badass army of empowered women.This is the main reason I created my blog, Half of Gabby. I realized if I could learn to conquer my obesity and all the demons that caused it, I could maybe, just maybe, inspire other women to do the same. It saddens me to watch women keep their heads down, constantly pull at their clothes out of self-consciousness, and put themselves last in all areas of their life. I used to do that, all of it. When I see these women, I feel their heavy sadness because I too once felt it. I know how hard it is to lift that weight off of your shoulders. But I also know it's possible because I did it. And if I can do it, anybody can do it. So that's why I'm here... to build an army. An army of badass women who know their worth and see how beautiful they are, BEFORE and after they hit goal weight.

It's time to stare your fear down, go after your dreams, and start thinking and acting like the badass that you are.

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